Administrative complex in Labour Colony lands into trouble

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The state government has approved a fund of Rs 147 crore for constructing an administrative complex including the new district collectorate on 13.5 acres of land at Labour Colony. Accordingly, the public works department (PWD) invited a tender of works valuing Rs 125 crore. Later on, the issue went into the court after PWD, out of six respondents, declared only one contractor as eligible and again recalled the tender.

The anti-corruption bureau (ACB), last month, contacted the chief engineer and inquired about the status of the tender. There was also an uproar in the Legislative Council over the tender.

Earlier, the newspaper brought into notice the process held in three long months. The news highlighted how four contractors were eligible out of six responses and how the executive engineer sent two tenders for finalisation to the superintending engineer. The process includes publishing of tenders and how the condition of experience of constructing the green building has been excluded from it. The newspaper also hinted at the struggle to recall the tender by a few officials. It is being said that the decision has been taken by the six member committee headed by the chief engineer.

Six responses to the tender

Hi-Tech Infra, Baba Constructions, JV Nabhraj Constructions, Pride Ventures (I) Pvt Ltd, Harsh Constructions Pvt Ltd, Kalyan Toll Infrastructure Ltd and Shubham EPC Pvt Ltd. Of these, two were declared invalid in the scrutiny round. Out of the remaining four the tender of Shubham EPC was found eligible. However, the tender has been recalled as he was the lone respondent in the fray.

Issue with ACB

The contractors were making allegations against each other. One minister along with a contractor has complained to the anti-corruption and the police. There were 10,000 to 12,000 papers enclosed with the tender. Hence the superintending and executive engineers took two months. For one more month, the chief engineer reviewed the documents. Then also there was no decision. Now the issue has been dragged in the court after the decision to recall the tender has been started. Meanwhile, the confusion prevailed after it was not decided who should be held responsible if the prices are increased as per the DSR, it is learnt.